A Stretch From Ordinary
by AutomaticLove
Summary: A darker, more non disney look at the character of Lash through the eyes of a side kick named Claire, who just happens to be his best friend's sister. LashOC
1. Change

** Chapter One: Change**

** Disclaimer**: I do not own the ideas or characters from Sky High. I own Claire, my OC.

_ The Commander and Jetstream fought yet another grueling battle today in the city's downtown area. A robot set on terrorizing citizens and destroying millions of dollars in property damage was stopped before it could hurt a fly by our best hero and heroine, and it seems as though……_

Claire Jones rolled her eyes as her brother's large form flopped itself onto the couch and switched the channel to wrestling. He smirked at his sister and then let out an amused grunt as an intense looking wrestler smashed another's face in with a chair. He looked at her with a face of pure innocence.

"What? You weren't really watching those two faggots, were you?"

The sibling's mother strode in with sweat glistening on her brow and a laundry basket full of dirty clothes. With an exasperated sigh, she commanded, "Jim, please do not use that word in my house, it's inappropriate and offensive."

His face grew red, "Mom! I told you not to call me that! My name is Speed! Jesus, is that so hard to understand?" He let out a sigh to mock her. She opened her mouth to scold him, but instead just rolled her eyes and continued on downstairs to the basement. Claire rolled her eyes and smacked her brother in his chubby arm.

He motioned his hand towards a commercial on TV for Revlon makeup, "You buy all that expensive shit for your face, so why don't you go put some on? It hides your grotesque face." She punched him harder.

"Why don't you go run on the treadmill? It'll improve your grotesque figure," She shot back. He just laughed, still knowing he had gotten to her. The doorbell chimed and Jimmy immediately got up from his lounging position and slid off the sofa. He walked over to the door,

"Whatever, Claire. I can still run circles around your skinny ass." He demonstrated by speeding around the couch a countless number of times in only a few seconds, and arriving back at the door to answer it. Claire grabbed a book and a flyer from the coffee table and began to doodle boredly. Her mother came jogging up the stairs with her high ponytail bouncing behind her,

"Jim-," She paused, "Oh, excuse me, _Speed,_ is that your father?" Jimmy opened the door to reveal a teenager with shaggy, brown hair. She blew out an exaggerated breath of air, "Apparently not." She muttered, "Hello Lash. Speed didn't tell me he would be having guests over on the night before his first day of senior year." She cast Jimmy a warning glance.

Lash ran a hand through his hair calmly, "Hey Mrs. Jones. Uh…..I can go home if you want me to……" He smirked and tossed a sly glance at Jimmy, knowing what her answer would be. Claire immediately became caught up in the wrestling game, making sure there was no way Lash would catch her giving him any attention. As she remembered how cruel Lash and her brother had been to her the last time they were together, she suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

Her mother looked frustrated, "Oh, no, it's no problem. Your welcome to help yourself to some dinner, if that's what you can even call it…" She trailed off as she stuck her head into the dishwasher and began to unload it. Jimmy sped back into the livingroom, causing Claire's doodle to go flying. He took the whole pizza box off of the table and began to head towards the stairs.

Claire made an annoyed grunt, "Jimmy!" He sped back down, pizza box still in hand, and stared blankly at her. Out of the corner of her eye, Claire could see Lash's gaze switch lazily to her. She bit her lip hard, suddenly wishing she wouldn't have said anything at all. Jimmy chuckled, "What? You didn't get a piece? Here you go!" He grabbed a grease covered slice and tossed it on her lap, where it landed face down on her pajama bottoms.

"Mom!" She yelled. Her mother came walking past, making her way back to the basement for cleaning and waved her hand dismissively, "You two work it out this time." Jimmy snorted with laughter and stomped upstairs to his room, assuming his friend was following him. Claire moaned hopelessly and examined the red sauce and grease now covering her only pajama bottoms. She rose to go try to save some damage to her pants, and came face to face with Lash.

His gaze burned through her, and a shiver ran down her spine as she stared up at him meekly. She knew he could probably tell she was afraid, but she could do nothing to stop the fear from creeping into her eyes. She swallowed hard and tried to quickly maneuver around him, but he grabbed her wrist hard and forced her to face him again.

He scanned her up and down, "Well you've certainly _grown_, Claire." He played with her name on his tongue. Claire remembered the last time he had said her name like that, she was twelve, and he had just stretched his leg to an extreme length and tripped her causing her to fall hard on the concrete. Blood dripped down her chin and tears fell from the corner of her eyes as she struggled to get back up to face Lash and her brother laughing hysterically. Claire couldn't imagine what he had in store for her and the rest of the incoming freshmen on her first day of school at Sky High. She scowled and ripped her arm away from his grasp, "Go to hell, Lash." He raised his eyebrows, mock scared.

She could her brother thump around upstairs,

"Yo, Lash! Hurry up, man!" He yelled confusedly, obviously wondering what interest his friend had in his little sister. Lash glanced upstairs, contemplating. After a few moments, he stepped away from Claire, giving her one last smug grin,

"Better hope you're not a sidekick."

_ Claire laughed hard as her friend, Maj, changed back into a human after shape-shifting into a chubby little guinea pig on the floor a moment before. _

"_Shut up! At least I have a power!" Maj argued, but soon started laughing herself, "Okay I know it's a little stupid, but according to my mom I'll be able to change into better things as I grow up." Claire snorted,_

"_Yeah, I hope so." Maj smacked her friend with a pillow. Claire turned off the fan that was the girls' only salvation from the hot summer evening, "How about we get some actual fresh air in here?" She walked to the back of her room and pushed open her window, and as she did, something caught her eye. Maj came to the window alongside Claire, with the same perplexed face as her friend,_

"_I didn't know…that, um, Speed smoked." Maj stated. Claire shook her head in agreement, "Yeah, or that he drinks." Claire watched, surprised, as a tall brunette boy leaned up against a tree in their backyard next to her brother. They both had a bottle of liquor in one hand and a cigarette in the other, switching off between drinking and puffing. The taller boy looked comfortable, whilst her brother looked extremely unsure of what he was doing. _

"_He's been hanging out with that kid, Lash, since the first day_ _of junior year last week." Claire whispered, afraid that since her brother and Lash were getting gradually closer to the house they would hear her. Maj mouthed an "O." _

_ Her friend glanced over to the boys' left, "Hey look! I know that kid, he lives right down the street from me." Maj pointed out an average looking boy heading across Claire's lawn as a shortcut. Jimmy and Lash noticed the boy right away and began walking over to him. Maj continued, " He was practically about to break down when he came off the bus on his first day, I heard it's cuz he got chosen as a sidekick."_

_ The girls watched as for no apparent reason, Lash used his super-stretch power to snatch a box that the boy was carrying away from him. The boy looked up, looking ready to cry, "I-I have money, just please, don't break that. I saved up money so I could buy it for my mom." Lash broke into a fit of laughter as he began to tear open the wrapping paper on the gift,_

"_You bought something for your Mommy? Mother's Day was five months ago, retard." He finished pulling the paper off the box and opened it. He reached inside and pulled out a delicate, and very expensive looking glass vase. Lash smirked, and let the vase drop from his hand. The boy gasped and ran to try to catch the vase, but before he could get there, Lash stretched his arm out and caught it just before it hit the concrete. _

_"Sorry about that, bro. And you know, I almost didn't catch it. You should be quicker, I mean, just imagine if that vase would have been a civilian. You wouldn't really be doing your duty as a sidekick by letting them fall to their death. Lucky you had a hero like me here." Lash chuckled. The boy shuffled his feet and looked at the ground. Lash glanced accusingly over at Jimmy, who had been silent during his bullying. Jimmy gulped as Lash looked coldly over at him,_

"_So, Speed. Do **you **think I should give geek-boy over here back his precious vase after he neglected his duties as a sidekick?" _

_ Claire shook her head, knowing her brother would never be that harsh. Her mouth dropped in shock and her brows furrowed as she watched her brother's face twist into a smirk to match Lash's, and shake his head "no." Lash gave her brother a twisted smile of approval._

"_Oh, come on, Speed. Have a heart." Lash smoothly replied as he offered the unharmed vase back to the boy. The boy closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath of relief as he reached out to take it from Lash's tight grip. He hardly had time to react before Lash's fingers uncurled from around the vase's center and it plummeted to the ground. The boy watched in horror, and Lash watched in delight, as the vase smashed into thousands of glimmering little pieces upon contact with the hard surface. _

_ Claire and Maj gasped in unison, causing Jimmy to whip around and look curiously in their direction. The girls dropped to their knees, both still peeking just over the edge of the window. Jimmy turned back around and watched as the boy scrambled to pick up the pieces, and finally stopped as he realized it was completely hopeless. Lash brought his hands up to cover his mouth dramatically, and quite obviously, mockingly. _

"_Jesus! Wow I didn't see that coming, I thought you had it, so I just let go!" Lash tried hard not to laugh. Well, not too hard. Claire stared, completely blown away as her brother began to laugh also, with no remorse for the boy at all. The boy stared at Lash with disbelief, which quickly turned to complete anger. He clenched and unclenched his fists,_

"_What are you, a fucking lunatic! I spent a lot of money on that!" _

_ He pushed his hands quickly and very forcefully into Lash's chest, causing him to stumble backwards and fall onto his butt._

_ Lash stayed quiet for a long time. Claire and Maj glanced at each other, "Good." Maj whispered under her breath, "He deserved it." Jimmy finally spoke up. "Hey man, do you need some he---,"_

"_Shut. Up." Lash said, his voice dangerously low. He rose slowly, brushing himself off casually. He strode over to the boy who had just pushed him, causing him to realize just how much Lash towered over his timid form. Lash repeated what the boy had just done to him, except Lash was much stronger, and there was a tree directly behind him. His head made a sickening smack as it hit the hard wood of the tree, and the two girls both winced. The boy blinked a few times, obviously in a daze, and then moaned in pain. Lash walked over and squatted down in front of the boy,_

"_Now if you were a hero, and this was a one on one fight, we would be square." He demonstrated by making a box shape in the air with his fingers, "But you, my friend," Lash poked the boy hard in the chest, "Are a sidekick." The boy gulped. "And, that is, if you can still count," Lash waved his hand in front of the boy's face, "You'll see that there is two of us." _

_ The boy took a shaky breath, "I-I'm s-sorr….."_

_ Lash punched him hard in the mouth, and then again right in the left cheek. A deep cut caused by the ring on Lash's finger appeared on his face and began to seep blood. Lash's shaggy hair fell slightly in his face as he turned around to face Jimmy, making him seem even more menacing,_

"_You want a go at him, Speed?" It was more of a command than a question. Claire opened her window all the way and stuck her head out,_

"_No! Seriously stop, Jimmy!" Claire's voice rang out across the backyard. Her and Maj didn't really seem to care about being seen anymore. Jimmy and Lash whirled around to see Claire and Maj's heads peeking out of the window off in the distance. Claire tried to toss a dirty look at Lash from across the yard, but she was too appalled to do much of anything._

_ Lash let out a short breath of laughter, "Who the fuck is that, your sister?" Jimmy nodded his head, and then slowly turned his back to Claire and Maj to face the boy that was sprawled out on the ground. He hesitated for a moment, but then spontaneously he kicked the boy repeatedly in the side. The boy yelped in pain, and coughed wildly, gasping as blood spilled from his mouth. Lash cracked a smile as he heard the girls screaming at him and Speed to stop. _

_ Claire lept from her kneeling position, ran through the kitchen and out the backdoor as fast as she could muster. As she ran across the backyard, she could see Lash begin punching the boy again, with no signs of stopping. She froze as soon as she got within a few feet of her brother and his friend. She felt Maj arrive by her side, but she was too shocked by what was in front of her to look away. _

"_What the hell!" Claire yelled at the boys, but Jimmy just seemed to look and her and then turn back to Lash, and Lash seemed to be too wrapped up in his tormenting. Maj stomped over to Lash and grabbed his wrist, "HEY!" She yelled in his face. Lash panted, worn out from his own beating. The badly beaten boy on the ground took this opportunity to half limp-half run away. _

_ Lash was staring at Maj and Claire with an unreadable expression. Everyone stood motionless and silent for a few moments, taking in what had just happened. Despite being so sure of himself, Lash seemed the deepest in thought. Claire and Maj both stared accusingly at Jimmy, who was looking innocently back. Lash tossed his cigarette on the ground and stomped on it. The two stunned girl's attention turned to him. He held out his hand to whomever decided to take it, and with smoke still snaking from his mouth he spoke up,_

"_Hey, I'm Lash."_

Claire jolted up in bed, sweat pouring down the sides of her face. She let out a shaky breath of relief and fell back into the cloud-like comforter as she realized she was safe in her room, bright sunshine streaming in through the window. She picked up the scent of her mother cooking breakfast downstairs and glanced at the clock.

** 7:15 a.m.**

"Shit! Shit shit shit!" After having a not-so-pleasant dream and being covered sweat, she surely needed a shower. She wasn't going to go to her first day of freshman year without at least some breakfast in her, and she also had to look decent for school pictures. Three things to do, no time to do them. Grabbing two towels and her outfit for the day, she hopped into the shower.

Besides the fact that someone from her family wouldn't stop turning on the sink downstairs and causing the water to go from freezing cold to boiling hot, the shower part went smoothly. Claire dried her hair, and went through her daily makeup ritual as normal. She flew down the stairs just in time to watch Lash and her brother terrorizing the family dog. Of course, Lash weaseled his way into staying the night so he and Speed could insure themselves a seat on the Senior Bus together, and find a seat that would give them easy access to the Senior sidekicks they had been picking on for so long. She slinked around the two unnoticed and slid into a chair at the dining room table.

"Good morning, honey. Are you excited for your first day?" Claire's mother asked in a tired tone. Claire looked up, surprised. Normally her mother was too absorbed in her work either at the office or at home to say anything so friendly. And Claire's father was always out saving the city along with the other superhero parents, seeing as Claire's mom was forced into an early retirement. Her mother turned around to reveal a pale, extremely exhausted, yet somehow still classically beautiful face. Claire cracked a half-smile,

"Yeah, it should be great." Claire lied. Until her brother began hanging around with Lash, she had felt at least a bit more comfortable about the fact that she may or may not become a hero like her mother and father. But since Jimmy's new friend and attitude change, she felt as if she was betraying her parents along with her brother if she was deemed a sidekick. By the simple fact that Maj had not yet been able to transform into any other animal besides a squeaky rodent, she knew that her friend was doomed to become a sidekick, and personally Claire herself secretly wouldn't mind being a sidekick. Her friend would be with her, she would have less weight on her shoulders, and it just seemed to be less stressful and more fun than being a hero.

And then she remembered the torture stories Speed would tell about the fun he and Lash had terrorizing sidekicks, especially freshman. And she remembered how upset her mom and dad would be if she didn't become a hero. And suddenly, becoming a sidekick didn't sound so fantastic. Claire ate her breakfast, but immediately felt like running to the bathroom and hurling it all back out again every time she thought about power placement.

A friendly beep sounded outside the door of the house, "Boys! Your bus is here!" Jimmy rushed to the door with inhuman speed, and Lash came running behind him. The sibling's mother eyed Jimmy suspiciously, "Why is your backpack so full?"

Lash and Speed exchanged devious glances, "We have a lot of extra books for the first day, mom. We're seniors." His mother smiled proudly at him as she realized just how fast her little boy was growing, and opened her arms lovingly to give him a hug before he left. The moment Speed caught Lash give the slightest sign of a disgusted look, he pushed his mother away harshly. Claire leaned against the door frame of the kitchen, taking a bite of an apple and staring angrily at Speed. Their mother did so much for them and he couldn't even suffice to return a quick hug because his stupid friend was ready to laugh at him.

His mother looked upset, but she stepped away so Speed and Lash could run out the door to the bus laughing about what torment they would bring to the innocent sidekick bus riders. Claire put an arm on her mom's shoulder before she heard the beeping of another bus. A nervous feeling was evident in her stomach, and dread filled her. Her mother smiled at her, and gave her a tight hug. Normally the simple fact that her mother had found enough time to give her any physical contact would be enough to cheer her up, but this time nothing could calm her down.

Claire took short, shaky steps down the sidewalk to the friendly looking yellow school bus. A stout man with a big grin upon his face smiled brightly at Claire, and she weakly smiled back. Maj was sitting by herself, saving a seat for Claire. Judging by how many students were already on the bus, Claire could tell Maj must have had to scare some kids away from taking her seat. This thought made her feel a bit better, that she at least had one very loyal friend to help her through the year at Sky High. Maj was staring out the window with a dark, vacant expression on, but Claire had known Maj long enough to see through her tough exterior.

"Hey Maj? Can I sit by the window?" Maj nodded in easy agreement and Claire took her seat. Immediately Maj noticed something was wrong with her friend, and of course, tried to ask her what was wrong. But like normal when something was bothering her, Claire just brushed it off and said _Nothing._ Claire tried to carry on talking to Maj like she didn't have a care in the world, but her friend could see straight through her phony smiles. Claire finally decided to stay silent and began to stare hopelessly out the window. She thought about how her brother had changed from an innocent little troublemaker to a cruel bully within a year. She thought about why her mother was suddenly looking strangely pale and stressed.

But above all, Claire thought about what her fate would be at Sky High. Would she gain more friends or lose her only friend? Would she become popular, or a favorite plaything to the bullies? Most importantly, where would she be put in power placement? A shudder ran through her body as she heard Lash's smug voice in her head, repeating threatening words,

"_Better hope you're not a sidekick."_

** A/N: **Hope you liked it! I know, I know, most people loved Warren Peace. And don't get me wrong, so did I, he was hot and he was a bad boy. But I just liked Lash's arrogant bitchy attitude better. Please review! If no one likes it, I'll just leave this story hanging, so tell me if you enjoyed it!

** References: The official Sky High movie website for the names and ages of the characters of Lash, Speed, and Maj/Magenta.**

**Maj is Magenta's real name**

**Jimmy is a first name made up for the character of Speed, because we all know that his parents did not name him Speed.**


	2. Lashing Out

**Chapter Two: Lashing Out**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the ideas or characters from Sky High. I own Claire, my OC.

"Sidekick."

Boomer had spat it out viciously, like a curse word, when Maj and a few others who dared to go first had gotten grouped into the dreaded category. But it seemed there was such a shortage of heroes in the new freshman year that he had simply lacked the vigor to scream at Claire and hurl her halfway across the gym. Instead, he said it indifferently, like he was expecting it just by looking at her.

Claire's hands began to shake as she played with her thumbs and walked down from the power placement platform. She looked down at the ground as strands of her hair fell in front of her face to hide her now flushed pink face. Her cheeks felt like they were burning as she pondered all of the things that could have possibly gone wrong today, and how this was the worst. Her parents would be upset, especially her father, and the worst part was, they would act as if they weren't frustrated or disappointed at all.

When Claire hadn't developed her powers upon the age of thirteen, her parents began to believe that she would never gain any at all. Speed had received his powers at the mere age of six, and both of Claire's parents had gotten theirs when they were ten. They reacted in the way that any superhero parents most likely would have: Fake smiles and reassuring comments. Claire knew both of her parents were frustrated and disappointed that one member of their extraordinary family was in fact just ordinary. She also knew that being a sidekick was only a step up from having no powers at all to her family. Claire's power was invisibility. Boomer seemed impressed when she had first told him, until he found out she couldn't stay in her invisible state for more than thirty seconds at a time, and even in that, would flash in and out of visibility several times. She would have given anything to stay invisible just long enough for Boomer to cast her into the hero category, but of course, she had gotten nervous and became visible several times.

Claire sighed and took slow steps over to where a bunch of the sidekicks had gathered to wait while the other students were sorted. Maj gave her a half-smile, which in Maj's face language was a full smile, like she didn't have a care in the world. Claire noticed a boy dressed in red, white and blue right away. Her heart leapt slightly as she realized this was the son of The Commander and Jetstream. Jetstream had always been her heroine, along with every other girl's on her block. Will seemed to be the only kid with the same nervous expression upon his face as Claire. She also spotted a short, black boy waving eccentrically at her with a big smile plastered on his face. Claire smiled half-heartedly back as she recognized her neighbor Ethan. He was an only child, and his family knew at once that he would be a sidekick. It was already pretty much set in stone by the simple fact that his mother was a heroine who had fallen in love with a man she saved. Everyone knew that there were only a few rare cases where the offspring of a hero or heroine and an ordinary person had been a hero. Ethan had not been one of these cases. Still, Claire envied him. His family was extremely accepting, and it seemed they were just happy he had gotten any powers at all, not that they would have minded if he didn't.

Nevertheless, Claire began to feel better as the day went on. She had already made friends with Zach, a boy with wild, radioactive blonde hair who seemed to be very open about the fact that he could glow, and Layla, a pretty girl who was eager to ask her if she had made the switch to being completely environmentally friendly. Her morning classes were all either interesting or just plain fun. As time went by, Claire became to feel more comfortable and happy being a sidekick

When lunch rolled around, Claire had forgotten her apprehensive feelings about being a sidekick. Surprisingly, Will had almost the same problem as Claire: He was worried his parents would be upset. This shocked Claire, because of the simple fact that the media had completely warped her view, along with everyone else's, that the Stronghold family had no flaws. She would have expected her favorite idol when she was a child, Jetstream, to not have a care in the world whether her son had powers or not, and just take him for who he was. But according to Will, his mother would act just the same as Claire's would, be inwardly disappointed and outwardly fake. Will and Claire had spent a lot of time discussing how they would break it to their parents that they had become sidekicks, or how they would hide it from them.

"I mean, obviously we're going to have to tell them eventually. But that doesn't mean we have to do it _right_ away." Will said with a nervous laugh. Claire nodded her head wildly in agreement, but stopped once she spotted Layla giving her a disappointed look.

"It's not good to hide these things, you guys. All of us know that we would rather be perfecting the art of changing outfits quickly and posing than straining to put together a shrink ray in Mr. Medula's class. Be proud that you're a sidekick!" Layla said cheerfully. Zach let out a, "Yeah!" in agreement, even though it was obvious he hadn't been listening to the conversation until a few moments ago. Layla decided to change the subject to P.E.T.A, and soon enough got too wrapped up in her lecture to realize no one was listening.

Zach leaned in closer to Claire and Will from across the table, "Seriously, man, If I was you, I would just not tell them. How are they gonna find out anyway? It might not get you off the hook for the whole year, but you know that saying, Better later than now." Ethan tried to correct Zach's expression malfunction, but he was interrupted by a loud, whiny voice,

A tall, black girl in a bright orange cheerleader uniform stood on top of the cafeteria table and shouted,"Attention Heroes! For those of you wondering who is below you, and who you should not, under any circumstances, take any shit from, Gwen and I, Penny, have been so kind as to post a list of the new freshman sidekicks. Enjoy!" She smiled immensely as a rush of kids ran to the list located next to the cafeteria doors, laughing and jeering.

"Wow, she has a beautiful smile." Will grinned dreamily in Gwen's direction. All of his fellow sidekick friends stared at him in disbelief. Will snapped out of it as Claire punched him in the arm, and he immediately began rubbing it and staring at her in shock.

Claire rolled her eyes,

"Do you not realize what this means? Now everyone in the whole school knows exactly who to taunt!" Will stared at her blankly. Claire let out a short breath, "Us!" Zach and Ethan exchanged scared glances, and Layla's speech came to a halt. Maj gulped loudly and cleared her throat to attract Claire's attention. Claire's gaze slowly followed Maj's finger pointed just to the left of where the list was hanging. Claire watched in horror as her brother and Lash gradually made their way up to the list. She could see them laughing and pointing at the list, until finally, her brother's laughing suddenly ceased, and Lash's increased dramatically. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know whose name they were reading.

Claire looked around frantically before quickly excusing herself from the table and walking out of the cafeteria as casually as possible. Her heart pounded in her head and she swore she could literally feel Jimmy's eyes on her from behind. She made the mistake of looking back nonchalantly backwards as she heard Principal Powers talking loudly, border lining on yelling as she ripped the list from the door. Too bad that ninety percent of the Sky High heroes had already read it. Just as she looked back her eyes met her brother's angry, almost ashamed brown eyes.

The moment Claire reached the hallway outside; she decided artlessly to make a break for it. The girl's bathroom was only a few feet away, and she knew that was one place neither Speed nor Lash would venture. They would linger outside of the door for the rest of the day if they had to, but at least it would give her a chance to think of something to say. Or break out of a window…..?

Claire shook her head free of these ridiculous thoughts and focused on running. It hit her a little too late that her brother could run over a hundred miles an hour. She collided with Speed and bounced back onto the tile floor of the hallway. Speed was panting, but she doubted it was from running, more likely anger. Claire brushed her jeans off and sprung up, daring her brother to deride her about being a sidekick. She didn't need to glance behind herself to know that Ethan, Zach, Layla, Will, and Maj were all following behind her, not to mention that Lash would be strolling into the hallway any moment. However, she wasn't expecting Lash's arm to rubberize itself and snatch an essay for Mr. Boy's Hero Support Class, and her first big grade of the school year, from her back pocket. Claire felt her pocket for good measure, and she thought about the fact that Mr. Boy had given them the whole first part of the day to write their papers, and her report was due right after P.E, which was right after lunch. Claire began to speak up, but was cut off by Speed.

He held up his hand, his fingers slightly raised, "No, you know what? Don't even start. It's bad enough that you're my sister, and that your only friend is a gothic dyke, but now you're a sidekick? What little respect I had for you is gone." Jimmy spat. Maj frowned and Claire opened her mouth, but snapped it shut right away. Jimmy broke into a big grin, and let out a snort followed by a deep chuckle,

"I honestly don't know why I'm getting myself all worked up over this. Mom and Dad are going to treat you like shit from now on, and treat me like a king. Actually, pretty much everyone is going to do that," He gestured towards a senior girl pushing a junior sidekick into a locker, "My only problem is that you're ruining my distinguished reputation. But it's not like we look alike anyway." Lash's long fingers began to slowly rip up Claire's essay into tiny squares, but she was too busy studying the floor. Last night, when she had been pondering her 80/20 chance of being a sidekick, she had actually thought that Jimmy may have been the only one to give her any slack. Her parents wouldn't ridicule her, of course, but they wouldn't act the same around her as they would have if she was a hero. She thought that maybe Jimmy would be the one to treat her like a normal human being, well, as much as a brother could do so to a sister. She felt her eyes begin to burn as she realized she was wrong.

Zach and Maj began to throw insults at Lash and Speed, and Ethan began to pick up the pieces of Claire's essay, but the two boys stayed silent and stared at Claire, waiting to see her reaction. She felt Layla's comforting hand rest on her shoulder, but she brushed it off and looked up at her brother and Lash, knowing full well her eyes were brimming with tears.

"Have fun with your friend, **_Speed._**" She spat. Regret flashed in his eyes as he realized that his sister had never once stopped calling him Jimmy until then. He realized Lash was staring at him, almost scolding him with his eyes for showing any emotion. Lash laughed aloud and lightly hit his friends arm as a sign for him to follow, taking careful care to smack his firm chest into Ethan's, knocking him back a few feet. Speed clumsily followed Lash to the boy's room for a smoke.

Lash looked down at Speed from his spot on the ledge in the boy's bathroom, one leg dangling lazily over the edge. Speed looked back at Lash as he watched him tilt his head to the side, igniting his lighter under the end of his cigarette. Lash began to tap his finger upon the ledge, the sound echoing in the bathroom, demonstrating his boredom.

"Have fun with your friend, Speed." Jimmy mocked Claire in a high-pitched voice. He didn't really know what else to say. Lash let out a short laugh, clearly not that amused.Lash allowed some smoke to escape from his nostrils and lips,

"Your sister's pretty fucking hot." He stated.

**"Huh?"**

Lash smiled brightly. "Nothing," He blew out the rest of his smoke, "So, what do you have planned for her?" Speed shook his head, trying to forget Lash's earlier statement. He gave Lash a questioning look.

"Dumbass. Last year? All the freshman sidekicks we got? Our fucking genius pranks that humiliated each and every one of them? What do you have planned for Claire?" Lash pieced the puzzle together for his perplexed friend. Jimmy shrugged his shoulders and stuffed his hands in his pocket. Lash took another puff and rolled his eyes with monotony. Lash suddenly leapt off of the ledge, his sneakers squeaking as he landed. Speed looked up,

"Where are you going?" He asked dumbly.

Lash tossed his hands in the air, shrugging his shoulders. Lash pushed his smoking cigarette into a random locker, leaving a burn mark where it had been extinguished. The bell for sixth period had rung long ago, while Speed and Lash were talking in the bathroom, and naturally, Lash decided to wander the halls instead of going to class. He spotted Gwen Grayson, a complete psychopath who he had agreed to help in some little plan to overtake the school. She hadn't approached him with the exact details yet, but she said it was a chance to prank some of his sidekicks and enemies. She motioned for Lash to come over, but he saw something far more interesting.

Claire was sitting cross-legged on the ledge next to the window in an empty Study Hall room, scribbling frantically, desperately trying to finish the essay that Lash had destroyed awhile ago before next hour, when it was due. He heard Gwen whisper his name sharply, but he ignored it. Lash impulsively grabbed another cigarette out of his pocket and lit up. He didn't exactly know why, but he wanted to taunt Claire while smoking. He finally strode into the room casually, and Claire let out a loud sigh when she saw him,

"What do you want?" She demanded, without looking up from her paper. She sounded exasperated. Lash tipped his head up and blew smoke to the ceiling as he slid into an empty desk, his legs dangling on either side of the chair,

"You're not supposed to be in here this hour." Claire kept writing, not looking up. He thought for a moment before speaking again, "Naughty girl." He said smoothly, waiting for her reaction. She instantly tossed him a disgusted glance and he began to laugh loudly.

"What's your deal anyway? What did I," He pointed to himself with an innocent expression, "Ever do to you?" His finger turned to Claire.

She scoffed, "Let's go down the list You tripped me when I was little and I had to get stitches. And you didn't care. You read my diary and then threw it into the fireplace when I was little, and you definitely didn't care. Not to mention, you've turned my brother into a heartless bully, and I'm almost certain, that you don't care." Lash smiled mischievously, reminding Claire of a young boy,

"Oh yeah," He sniggered, "That diary thing was classic." Claire's lips clenched together as she grabbed her books and hopped off the ledge, walking briskly towards the door. Lash jogged towards the door, but with his long legs, he could have easily walked and got to the door frame before her. He leant against the doorframe, his long arm spread across the door, blocking her escape. She crossed her arms and did her best to glare at him.

Lash stared directly back at her, "Listen Claire, I just wanted to say, that I'm really sorry about what happened with Jim today." Claire's mouth went slightly agape, at the fact that Lash was being sincere, and that he had just referred to her brother as Jim instead of Speed. "I mean, if anything, it was my bad influence on him that caused him to treat you like that."

Claire was speechless. Lash was the one person that could fall over dead in front of her and she wouldn't flinch, and now he was being caring and pouring his heart out to her?

The corners of Lash's mouth turned up.

Lash began to slightly chuckle, and it soon turned into him holding his stomach and doubling over with laughter. "Seriously, you are really gullible. You really think I'm some sensitive pansy? And for the record, I'm positive Speed meant what he said, with or without my influence."

Claire was fairly certain that she had never hated Lash more than in that moment. She was still upset about how _wonderful_ her day was going, but now she was completely filled with anger.

"God, are you completely heartless?" Claire yelled at him, forcing her hands against his chest and attempting to push him for effect. Lash just smirked. Claire continued her rampage, "Have you ever wondered why you have no friends besides my brother, _**Jace**?"_ Lash's eyes narrowed dangerously at the use of his real name. He paused and stomped harshly on his cigarette, causing ash to spread on the floor. His voice was deep and quiet, "You better watch your fucking mou-"

"Save it." She spat, "It's not my problem that your brother is a demented villain who's in jail right now, and you're going to end up _just like him._" Lash grabbed both of Claire's arms and slammed her against the wall, his nails sinking into her arms. It hurt terribly, but Claire pursed her lips in anger and kept a tough face on, which seemed to just enrage Lash more. Both teenagers heard the trademark heel-clicking of Principal Powers walking speedily down the hallway, and they immediately separated.

Principal Powers smiled icily as soon as she entered the room, "Lash, Claire. Aren't you two supposed to be in P.E. right now?" She didn't give either of them a chance to answer, "Of course you are. I know, because if you were there right now, I wouldn't have to be called out a meeting because of yelling coming from the study hall room." She gestured stiffly for them to leave the room.

Lash stepped in front of Claire and tossed her a dirty look, almost causing her to collide with the back of him. Claire mumbled an apology to Principal Powers, but before they could leave the bell for seventh hour sounded through the halls and students began spilling out of their classrooms. Despite the fact that Claire needed to go the same direction as Lash, she turned the opposite way, still a little frazzled from their encounter.

"CLAIRE! CLAIRE JONES! OVER HERE!" Zach shouted across the hallway. Anyone who had seen the sidekick list in the cafeteria and didn't know who she was now knew her name and that she was a sidekick. She sighed heavily and forced a smile as she walked over to her friends.

"Shit! What happened to your arms?" Maj questioned, a hint of worry in her voice. Claire looked down at her arms and saw bright crimson crescent shaped marks imbedded in her skin. Will butted in, "Yeah, and where were you in P.E?" Claire just shook her head and directed their attention to Lash already beginning to stuff Ethan into his locker.

As soon as they had gotten to their class, everyone besides Maj had forgotten about Claire's arms. She quickly put a sweater on, which looked completely silly in the hot August month. The rest of the day went quickly, and Claire did her best to avoid her brother and Lash at all costs, and thankfully, she did. The only time she saw them was boarding the bus together at the end of the day. They were threatening to steal Ron Wilson: Bus Driver's hat for the rest of the school year if he didn't allow Lash to get off with Speed at his stop. Claire groaned as she realized this meant she would not only have tons of homework to do with Maj, but she would also have to face Lash and her brother.

"Listen Maj, do you think we could do our homework at your house tonight? And…..do you think I could stay over tonight?" Claire put her hands out in a pleading gesture. Maj rolled her eyes, knowing full well that her mother was going to have her "Mary Kay" sample party tonight. Claire knew the simple fact that Maj's mother was a makeup salesperson, and Maj used only one type of product, black eyeliner, was only part of the many reasons they didn't get along. But Maj agreed that it would be better than dealing with "those two morons." Zach instantly began to chat up Maj, who didn't look very impressed, the moment they got on the bus,

"So this one time, this chick asked me to start glowing, right? And I'm all like…"

Claire sighed and rested her head upon the bus window, suddenly feeling the urge to fall asleep, desperately hoping that tomorrow would be a much better day.

**A/N: Okay, I just realized that I forgot to turn on the "Anonymous Reviews Allowed" thing, so anyone who doesn't have a penname and wants to review can now review! And I'd appreciate it if you did! Thanks to my eight cute little reviewers who gave their input last time. **

**Lady Cela: **Thanks to my first reviewer! Can't wait for Lash to appear in your story, it should be awesome either way.

**Escebella: **Don't worry I won't laugh at your crush on Speed, he's practically the same as Lash, just a little bigger  Thanks for reviewing!

**Stephanie Clear:** Wow, thanks for your review. It gave me a lot to think about! I know a lot of people who don't like OC/Canon Character, but I'm glad you took the time to read mine and comment anyway! I hope Claire is more to your liking in this chapter, I took your advice on giving her some different friends. Thank you!

**Shakespeare Diva: **Glad you like the dark fan fiction! Thanks for your input!

**Ashley 0918:** I read both of your stories and they rocked! I can see you get better with each one. I don't really watch either of the shows that those stories were about so I was a little confused lol.

**Espantalho:** Haha I know I'm evil. I heart predicaments, they make the story interesting. Thanks for your comment!

**Carnalheart:** Well I'm continuing! Glad you like it!

**Stephanie8891:** Thanks for reading, I'm glad you enjoyed it.


	3. Warning

**Chapter Three: Warning**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the ideas or characters from Sky High. I own Claire, my OC.

Claire's head rested lazily on one of Maj's black pillows, glancing at the clock every few moments. She could feel herself wanting to fall asleep, but every time her eyes drifted closed, her thoughts drifted to Speed and her family. She let out an exasperated sigh, as she saw the time hadn't changed since she last looked at it: **1:37 a.m.**

Maj, of course, had managed to get Claire to tell her what had happened with Lash yesterday. Her friend had sat there with wide-eyes as she told the story, and then at the finish of the story had simply said, "I'm gonna kill him." Claire knew Maj wasn't serious, but she suddenly wished she hadn't said anything to her. A pang of guilt struck her as she realized her mother must be worried about her, but she knew she wouldn't try anything drastic. They both knew that unlike Jimmy, Claire could take care of herself and think for herself.

When her brother and Lash first started hanging out, it had actually started out pretty innocently. The worst they would do was taunt Claire and Maj with words, or make dirty jokes to each other about the girls at school. That lasted about a week. From Claire's point of view, her brother would have probably liked to stay at their innocent stage, because after the beating up the sidekick and tripping Claire incidents, Jimmy came home with a bruise spread across his left cheek.

Claire immediately asked him how it happened, curiosity overwhelming her. Her brother simply gave her the finger and told her to stay the hell away from him. But soon enough, her brother gave in, probably because he needed to get it off his chest and tell someone.

_Speed knocked upon Lash's front door, feeling suddenly a bit nervous, as he realized he had never met Lash's family before. The outside of Lash's house looked decent, and also pretty much like every other house on the block. He lived in a nice neighborhood, generally for more "fortunate" families, although Lash's house seemed a bit more unkempt and smaller than the rest. He heard some indistinct yelling and the thumping of feet coming towards him. The door swung open forcefully, and a tall young man, looking to be in his mid-twenties loomed over Speed,_

"_What is it, what do you want?" He rolled his hand in circles a few times, motioning for Speed to hurry up with his explanation. Speed stuttered, incoherent words falling from his lips. The man raised his eyebrow and smirked, and in that moment, he reminded him of Lash like no other. Jimmy's friend poked his head out from around the corner and hopped down the steps leading to the front door._

_Lash glanced at the man with annoyance, "Come on, Speed." He said. Speed gladly followed, but the man stepped in front of him before he could go anywhere. This gave Jimmy a closer look at him, and he noticed his tousled hair, slightly unshaved face, and generally lazy appearance. However, he did notice the striking resemblance to Lash, and the fact that he still seemed healthy and good-looking, despite his carelessness. _

"_Hey, aren't you gonna introduce me?" He slurred, obviously drunk. Lash let out what sounded like a cross between a sigh and a growl, "This is my brother. Jack." Lash's brother smiled arrogantly at Speed, "Try not to eat everything in the fridge, okay tubby? I've got company." He stumbled away from the two boys, and soon came back with a full bottle of Vodka, which he tossed at Lash. _

"_That enough to keep you guys busy and out of the livingroom?" It was more of a threat than a question. Speed nodded dumbly and Lash just strode past his brother, dragging Speed along with him, setting the bottle of Vodka back on the kitchen table._

_Jack came running up behind them, beating them into the livingroom. He crawled on top of a bleached blonde, punk-looking girl with too much eyeliner who was lying on the couch. Next to them, on the coffee table, were three lines of white powder. Jack and the girl both looked at each other, and then broke out into fits of random laughter and sloppy kissing. Lash let out a disgusted grunt as the blonde began to unbutton his brother's pants. _

"_Yeah, we're going to my room." Lash stated, and they quickly walked up the stairs. _

_Lash's room was spacious, but messy. Clothes were scattered all over the floor, his bed was unmade, and the walls were covered with underground band posters. Lash plopped himself upon his bed, putting his hands underneath his head and staring up at the ceiling. It took him a few moments to speak again, _

"_You do know that he's a villain, right?"_

"_Who?"_

_Lash rolled his eyes, "My brother, retard." Speed made a sound of realization, and nodded his head, not really knowing how his friend expected him to react. Lash's eyes hadn't moved from the ceiling, _

"_My parents are always gone for work, so there's no way they'll ever find out about his new career," Lash spat out. "The lame-ass doesn't even count as a villain, the only time he ever did anything villainous was when he robbed a bank for some cash." Jimmy nodded again. Lash's eyes held his for a moment, and then were cast lazily back to the ceiling. _

"_It doesn't matter." Lash said, obviously not getting the reaction from Speed that he wanted. A clutter of pans and bottles falling over and clashing sounded from the kitchen, but only Speed took attention to it. It wasn't until they heard the sirens of a cadre of police arriving to the door did Lash's head snap to the side with surprise. _

_They heard loud yelling and soon after a door being broken in. Lash sprung up and pushed Jimmy aside as he ran towards the hallway and stuck his head out and around his bedroom door so he could see what was happening, but not be seen. A few large policemen charged into the living room, their voices drowned out by Jack's girlfriend screaming. Jack stared at her dangerously and she ceased her yelling. The men forced Lash's brother to his knees,_

"_What the hell did I do?" Jack yelled in the officer's face, struggling wildly. The man snorted, "Where do I start? You're under arrest for possession of illegal drugs, battery, and the robbery of the City Bank on August 2nd." Jack remained silent. Speed tried to silently approach Lash and sit next to him, but his lumbering form caused the floors to creak. One of the cops looked up in the boys' direction, suspicious, but he soon brushed it off and turned his attention back to the criminals,_

"_M'am, were gonna have to ask you to come along too. We'll just do a simple drug test to see if you've been using." He gestured to the cocaine spread across the coffee table. The girl gulped noticeably. Jack remained motionless, staring up at one of the police officers. His gaze switched to Lash, glaring at him through the bars of the top floor's stair railing. Lash looked away, his mouth tightening into a thin line. _

"_Let's go." One of the officers stated, dragging Jack and the girl up to their feet and forcing them to follow him out the door. One of the men trailed behind, still looking warily around the room, mostly towards the stairs. Lash and Speed both crouched closer to the door, gradually slipping silently into the bedroom. _

"_Are your parents up there, son?" The man's voice was muffled, but still eerily clear. They heard Jack grunt a short "no," and soon after heard them leave, the cars driving away from the house. Speed's breathing was labored and his heart was pounding inside his chest, simply thinking that had been too close. Speed glanced at Lash and noticed the sweat glistening on his brow. _

"_My parents won't be back for two weeks." Lash said quietly. He paused for a moment, running his hands through his hair easily. He let out a short laugh, "Cool." Speed couldn't help but notice the apprehension in his friend's voice. Lash got up off the floor smoothly and strode over to his bed. He lifted up his pillow and revealed a large amount of crumbled bills. He grabbed a twenty,_

"_So, want to go somewhere? That stupid sidekick Jerry kid is having a party at his house. I wonder how many people are going to show up for that." He finished sarcastically. Speed stared at him, confused,_

"_Dude…..your brother….."_

"_Yeah?" Lash snapped, daring him to say something. _

_Speed gulped, but was determined to find out, "You never told me he was so….messed up." _

"_Yeah, well he is." Lash stated sharply, grabbing a small bean bag off the floor and throwing it violently against the wall, causing a loud thud. "Could you not bring him up? He's a loser. A junkie. That's about it." Lash jogged down the stairs into the kitchen, "So, do you want anything to eat?" He asked calmly._

"_I know but..."_

_"Dude, just stop talking about him."_

_"You never told me he was..."_

_Speed felt four bony knuckles collide with his face, pain exploding in his cheek. It wasn't enough to send him to the ground, but it was enough to make an impact. "__**Could we not fucking talk about him!**__" Lash yelled in Speed's face. Jimmy immediately went quiet. It wasn't as hard of a punch as what Lash normally dealt, just sort of a warning, but it still hurt like hell. He knew it was just a hit to knock some sense into him, but it scared him enough to keep him quiet. _

"_I…." Lash stopped. "You just…" He stopped again. His tongue flicked out to lick and wet his lips, "He's just a dumbass. Don't even bother with talking about him." He laughed afterwards, trying to make the whole thing seem like a joke, "He should have been a sidekick, like that stupid Aaron kid. Do you remember him?" It was obvious to both boys that Lash was rambling, and an awkward silence fell upon them. _

_Speed began to laugh loudly, but falsely, trying to break the quiet "Oh yeah! The kid that pissed his fucking pants in sixth grade! What a freak." _

_Jimmy laughed loudly, but even he could hear the awkward nervousness in his voice, still shaken up about what happened. Lash's laughter was either, one, genuine, or, two, he was just better at lying than Speed was. _

_Jimmy was sure it was the second one. _

Claire bit her lip hard and looked up at the ceiling, gradually drifting out of her little flashback. She could never be sure if Jimmy was lying about any part of it, seeing as, well, it was Jimmy. But by the way he looked about ready to burst before he told it to her, and the animated, but still nervous way he told the story, she was convinced that at least a good portion of it was true. Claire hoped she had fallen asleep, but to her dismay, the clock read:

**1:45 a.m.**

Claire slowly got out of bed, not wanting to wake Maj. She ruffled her hair a bit with her hands as she tip-toed down the stairs to Maj's kitchen. Claire looked around in wonder; the lights were still on and Maj's mother was in the kitchen eating eggs.

"Hello dear! Would you like something to eat?" Maj's mother's voice chimed sweetly. Claire shook her head, still in question of Maj's mother's unusual taste for eating at 1 in the morning. Claire began to feel nervous as Maj's mother looked her up and down, either studying or judging her.

"You know," Maj's mother put on a warm smile, "I have the perfect eyeshadow color for you. I really think it would bring out your eyes."

Claire half-smiled, "Well I already have makeup to wear."

"You can never have too much, you know. I mean don't even get me started on Maj, she just…."

She paused as she heard someone thumping down the stairs. Maj emerged and began to pour herself some cereal. Her mother glanced at Claire and gave her wink, as if to say _I'll tell you later._ She rose gracefully from her seat at the table and spread open the dark curtains, causing warm sunlight to pour into the large room.

Claire flinched visibly, her eyes squinted, "Maj, your clock just said that it was 1:45 in the morning!"

Maj shrugged, "The power went out last week. I guess I never reset it." She used her hand to pat the seat next to her, gesturing for Claire to sit next to her. Claire nodded her head in realization, extremely thankful that she didn't have some kind of sleep paranoia. The rest of the morning was filled with scarfing down breakfast, rushing to get dressed and ready, and still making the bus on time. Apparently, the true time on Maj's clock had been around five to seven, and the bus arrived at 7:15. Soon enough, the girls heard the honking of the bus arriving to pick them up. A wave of relief passed through Claire as she realized she wouldn't have to see her brother's most likely angry face until they arrived at school, and if she was sly enough, maybe not even then.

The girls boarded the bus slowly, still partially asleep. Even though she hadn't been up at one in the morning like she had thought, she and Maj did go to bed at around eleven, and it seemed it was just kicking in now. Of course, Will and Zach were fully energized and ready to wake up Maj and Claire. It was a gloomy morning, clouds hung in the air that threatened to bring a storm, and it was dark and silent outside. This of course just caused Zach to glow brighter, and he laughed loudly as Maj drew back immediately, the light stinging her eyes. Will was in a one-sided conversation about Gwen Grayson with Layla. She sat twirling her golden red hair with her finger, rolling her eyes as Will continued his worship of Gwen. Ethan struck up a conversation with Claire about gym class, telling her that it was simple for him to avoid being selected to go in front of the class and getting humiliated; melt into a puddle whenever players are being chosen. Claire let out a laugh, which soon turned into silence as she realized that the bus had arrived at the school.

She gingerly stepped off the bus, inhaling the summer air and rubbing her arms uncomfortably as if it were the middle of winter. Her eyes darted around the schoolyard nervously, stepping quickly towards the school entrance. She felt a strong hand on her shoulder, and turned around to face Layla.

"They're not out here." She stated softly. Claire smiled half-heartedly, and went to join her friends in the little circle they had formed on the grass. The three girls giggled loudly as they watched Ethan melt into a puddle as Warren Peace walked past, causing Zach to slide on the puddle and fall with a thud into the grass. Warren stared at two, obviously amused, and simply walked over the puddle that was Ethan and into the school. Gwen Grayson strode past looking elegant, and not the least bit modest. Will's eyes widened as they followed her slim form as she joined her perky friend Penny by the benches. Claire saw a hint of jealousy in Layla's eyes, and obviously Maj had too, as they both exchanged glances.

The bell sounded throughout the courtyard, and the students began to trudge towards the school. Claire smiled and waved goodbye to her friends as they left for their lockers, which were unfortunately, far away from hers. She leaned her head against the cool locker and moaned, her eyes heavy with weariness from last night. Her fingers slowly turned the wheel to match her combination……

A heavy hand came down on her shoulder.

"Hey little sis. Mom was pissed when you didn't come home last night." Claire instantly knew who the voice belonged to. But did he honestly just call her _little sis?_ She turned, surprised evident in her expression, to face Speed. Lash was a few feet away, preoccupied with breaking into lockers and stealing any valuables.

"You should have come home, Dad was there."

My head snapped up, "Hang on, what? I thought he was coming back on Saturday!" Jimmy shook his head,

"Nope. He got ahead of schedule. But he left again at like three this morning."

Claire sighed in frustration. Her father was never home, and the one time he came home she had decided to runaway for the night. Too many thoughts at once clouded Claire's head, "Okay, hang on. Why are you acting like nothing at all happened yesterday?" Jimmy looked unsure of what to say, but magically figured it out as soon as Lash decided to join them,

"Well, what is there to say? I told mom you were a sidekick, she was upset, but she's going to act like she's not mad as soon as you get home. Oh, and we get to torture you for the rest of the year." Jimmy finished with a smile. Claire stood, her lips clenched and her eyes narrowed, perfectly displaying her anger. But deep down, she knew it was true. And that's what infuriated her. She caught a glimpse of Lash looking at her in a sly manner, but didn't give the slightest bit of attention to it. She had gotten used to Lash and his little ways of ruining her day, and it was quickly getting more annoying than maddening.

Claire briskly walked away; still angry she didn't have a good enough response to make Jimmy as frustrated as she was. Her morning classes consisted of yawning and trying desperately trying to keep her eyes open. The first half of the day went by slowly, rain peddled against the windows lightly, practically ushering Claire into boredom.

By the time lunch arrived, Claire was completely out of it, and not to mention hungry. Zach, Ethan and Maj met her at end of the hot lunch line. Layla split from the crew as she headed over to the Salad Bar, and Claire and the rest got in line for hamburgers. Claire ate in slow motion, carefully stirring her mashed potatoes.

Maj rubbed her nose, "Where's Will?" Layla, who had been unusually quiet that day, looked up. She rolled her eyes,

"He's over there, with the _heroes."_ She sighed, "I mean, it's not like I'm into labels, but honestly, they do act their better than everyone else just because they got sorted into a better group. And ever since he got his new powers…….."

Claire rested her head on her elbow as she tuned out Layla and glanced over in Will's direction. His face was glowing with pride as he explained his powers, most likely for the tenth time, to Penny and Gwen. She was surprised to see him gloating and completely ignoring his friends, but then again in a way, she wasn't. It was obvious that Will had really wanted to get to know this girl, and make his parents proud. Now he got to do both.

Claire glanced at the usually filled spot next to Layla, and suddenly became aware of the other empty seat next to Zach. "Wait, where'd Ethan go?" At that very moment she caught sight of a striped sleeve pulling the small boy swiftly out the door, going unnoticed to any of the teachers. Claire let out a loud noise of frustration, jumping up and walking quickly towards the exit of the cafeteria. Zach and Layla exchanged confused glances, but all three of the remaining people at the table got up and ran after Claire.

Claire didn't need to see what Lash was doing to Ethan, she could hear the sounds of Ethan struggling and yelling followed by the banging of lockers just down the hallway to the left.

She heard Lash's deep voice, "Think your mom can put my brother away for ten years and get away with it, you little fuck?" Soon after she heard Jimmy's laughing. Claire's eyes widened and she still halted to a stop before turning the corner into the hallway where her friend was being harassed. Zach grunted as he smacked into Claire's back, not ready for her sudden stop. Maj shushed him as she huddled next to him in order to hear what was happened. Layla looked reluctant, but soon joined the other three in their eavesdropping. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what was going on between the three boys. Claire's fingers curled around the cold brick of the wall as she ever so slightly peeked around the corner to get a view of what was happening.

She felt a rush of relief as she saw no bruises or blood on Ethan, glad that he didn't suffer the same fate as most of the other sidekicks. Speed had a large hand planted on Ethan's chest, pinning him to the wall, and Lash was unnecessarily holding onto his collar. She heard the seams of his shirt rip every time Lash rose his voice,

"I do have a father in the police force, you know. I can track down you and your stupid little family. Or maybe I'll just get it out of your friend, Claire." Claire cringed, but continued to stay quiet. Speed laughed, "We'll totally egg your house, dude." Lash turned slowly to face Jimmy, his glare telling him he had something much more extreme in mind. Jimmy's smile disintegrated. Lash continued to focus his attention on the shaking boy he was holding, getting dangerously close to his face,

"Your mom is a lawyer, and as far as I know, a good one. So let's just say your mother better find a way to shorten his sentence, or things aren't going to go too good for you this year, you get me?" Ethan began to say something, but he simply started to stutter uncontrollably. Lash smirked and raised an eyebrow at him.

Ethan melted into a puddle.

Both Layla and Maj let out loud exasperated sighs. Lash's eyes widened in shock and anger as he watched the goo slip through his long fingers and onto the floor, where it began to slither away. The puddle sped down the hallway and around the corner, where it collided with Zach's gray tennis shoes. Ethan materialized back into himself again, and both Layla and Claire clapped a hand over his mouth, but not before he had gotten out a loud, "Hey! What are you guys doing here!"

Maj closed her eyes tightly in frustration as they all heard footsteps heading around the corner towards them. But luckily enough, just then, the bell sounded for fifth hour. Students spilled out from the cafeteria and other rooms into the hallway, laughing and slowly making their way to the next class. Claire spotted Lash and Speed trying to break through to them, Lash trying to stretch his arm to grab Ethan, but couldn't maneuver it around so many people. Jimmy tried to speed around the students to get to Ethan, but found there was no path wide enough or clear enough to use.

The two boys watched, anger evident in their faces, as the group hurried off to gym class. Claire, Ethan, and the rest disappeared around the hallway and down the stairs leading to the locker rooms. Lash and Speed followed the group slowly, weaving through the rush of kids.

Claire watched as Ethan sprinted into the boy's locker room, probably trying to get changed into his gym clothes before Lash and Speed could arrive and torture him. Claire grabbed Will's sleeve as she spotted him heading down the hallway, dragging him away from Gwen,

"Will, listen. Make sure nothing happens to Ethan in the locker room, okay? Namely, my brother and Lash beating him up or threatening him. You're the only one of us who actually has a good power." Will nodded dreamily, still glancing in Gwen's direction. Claire sighed and let go of Will as she walked into the girl's locker room. She changed as slowly as possible, until it was time to go into the gym. She snuck behind several taller girls that perfectly hid her from almost anyone's view, and took a seat. Ethan soon joined her, as well as Zach and Maj. Claire's eyes carefully scanned the gym, and she saw that Will was of course sitting by the heroes, and surprisingly, Layla was seated next to Warren Peace. Layla kept looking over at Will, and everytime he would glance back, she would begin to animatedly talk to Warren. Claire wondered what was going on, but her thoughts were soon interrupted as she watched her brother and Lash enter through the double-doors of the gym.

The bell rang again, signaling that class should begin, "Alright! Settle down, be quiet, etcetera!" Boomer's voice was on the verge of causing a slight earthquake, "Lash and Speed were the last to win yesterday, so they begin today. Boys, pick your opponents."

Almost immediately Lash yelled out, "Ethan Reeves!" Boomer nodded, awaiting the second answer.

The second answer didn't come so quickly. Lash's eyes stared at the floor, deep in thought. Something must have dawned on him, because his head snapped up quickly, and a big grin graced his face. Claire's heart sunk as she knew the response before it came.

Lash smirked as he met eyes with Claire, "Claire Jones."

**A/N: I know most of you thought this story was dead, but it's not! I've just been really busy with school stuff, but this chapter is much longer than normal so hopefully you guys aren't too mad at me! I'm so glad I got so many reviews, I've never gotten this many for only two chapters before! **

**Dean- Me neither, I liked to surprised about the pairing. But people have gotten mad at me in the past because they thought the pairing was going to be something different than what it was. **

**The Mayor's Daughter- I'm really happy people like the way I write Lash, I ********tried to get him just right, with just a little more badness to him Don't worry, I hate smoking too, I would totally not be kissing him!**

**Carnalheart- Thanks for all your reviews, I'm glad you like it! Haha, I wanted you to fall for the little trick Lash played, I guess it worked!**

**2lazy2signin- Well hopefully Claire will get a little gutsier. I was thinking for like an hour on what I should name her, so I'm glad you like the name lol. **

**Silver Magiccraft- Well to be honest, I know it took me longer than it should have to update, but your reviews keep me going! P.S. I know, I was undecided about the age, and I completely messed up in explaining it, I went back and fixed everything now and she should be 15 going on 16.**

**xxZombie- LOL. Well I don't know if I agree with the dying thing, but I'm glad I'm on your favs!**

**Queen of the Dorks- I always write darker characters, so hopefully he'll grow on you!**

**Ellina HOPE- Don't worry, I've already made him into kind of a monster, I doubt I could make him be a romantic, sweet boyfriend now! About the review reply thing, I've been doing it for awhile, and I see other people doing it so hopefully they won't delete my story! Thanks for your review.**

**WafflesareYumtastic- Thank you! I hope you like this chapter.**

**Duckieluv 12- I updated, hope you like it!**

**Bleedthetempest- Yes, he will gradually get less hostile, lol. Thanks for your review.**

**Grim- Thank you so much for giving me three reviews, I definitely need to be bugged if I'm not updating, or I get lazy!**

**Cognitivedistortion- Haha, I'm not that great, but thank you for the compliment!**

**Moi- NO! It has not been abandoned! I'm very sorry it took me this long, thank you for reviewing!**

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